Thursday, April 9th -The city of Cagliari, in the South of Sardinia, Italy will play host to the opening round of the 2026 UIM F1H2O World Championship season, as the year’s racing will commence on the 29th-31st of May for the Regione Sardegna Grand Prix of Italy.

The Grand Prix will see F1H2O return to the scenic Sardinian city of Cagliari for the first time since 2004. Of those who have raced in Cagliari, only three remain as current championship drivers: Sami Selio, Duarte Benavente, and Cedric Deguisne. Selio and Benavente last left Cagliari on a post-podium high, having secured second- and third-placed finishes respectively.

While the course in Cagliari will therefore be new for most current drivers, they will be guided by the wealth of experience on the sidelines from numerous team managers who remember racing in the Sardinian city. Sharjah Team’s Scott Gillman triumphed at the 2004 Grand Prix, trailed by Comparato F1’s Massimo Roggiero and Team Abu Dhabi’s Guido Cappellini.

F1H2O’s return to racing in Sardinia will feel like a homecoming to one of the sport’s most welcoming and loved homes, known for the enthusiastic hospitality of the locals and optimal racing conditions.

 F1H2O has raced in Sardinia since 1994, when current TV commentator Jonathan Jones triumphed in Porto Cervo, with the sport last gracing the island in 2024, when rookie Rusty Wyatt took the honors in Olbia during his outstanding breakout season.

The dates and locations of further races are temporarily being withheld to ensure their viability amidst a highly volatile geopolitical climate that has created unforeseen logistical complexities. The rest of the racing calendar will therefore be announced shortly.